Roasted Red Peppers & Garlic Preserves | Recipeish | Gustus Vitae

Yield: Makes 3 Small, wide mason jars.
Time Estimate: 1:30, including 50 minutes unattended
Storage Notes: Will keep covered and refrigerated for up to 10 days, frozen for up to 2 months.
Difficulty: Easy.

This little side dish is truly more than the sum of it's parts: oven roasting these red bell peppers and garlic with a bit of good olive oil and a generous dusting of seasoning until well charred transforms them from simple, crunchy veggies into a deeply savory, profoundly rich side that will light up appetizers from antipasto plates to full on charcuterie boards. 

These also make lovely host/hostess gifts: next time you're invited for dinner, bring this instead of a bottle of wine - we promise you'll get a big thank you the next day!

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Large bell peppers
  • 4 Bulbs garlic
  • 1 1/2-2 Cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4ths Tin Bang Bang Flavor Gang BBQ Blend
  • Special Equipment Required: Small squat mason jars for storage
    Directions 
    • Preheat oven to 450F.
    • Rinse bell peppers, discard stems, and cut lengthwise into quarters.
    • Trim and discard the white internal membranes, and any seeds.
    • In a large bowl, toss together bell pepper slices, 1/2 Cup olive oil, and 4 Tbs Bang Bang Flavor Gang BBQ Blend, until well coated.
    • Spread skin-side down on a baking tray, taking care to not overlap the peppers.
    • Slice tops off garlic bulbs, exposing the tops of cloves, and discarding any excess flaky skin.
    • Arrange garlic on baking tray, top side up, drizzling bulbs with a bit of oil.
    • Pop in the oven and roast, uncovered, for about 12 minutes, then rotate, roasting for a further 10-15 minutes, or until bulbs and tips of peppers start to char.
    • Remove from oven and allow 20 minutes to fully cool.
    • Working one by one, carefully peel and discard bell pepper skins, reserving the strips of flesh.
    • Evenly divide peppers into mason jars, then gently squeeze the garlic bulbs - the soft garlic should come out easily. Discard skins and any remainder.
    • Shake remaining Bang Bang Flavor Gang over the jars, then top up with olive oil to just under the threads, fully coating the peppers and garlic.
    • Seal finger tight, label with the date, and reserve. They'll keep for a few days unrefrigerated, about 10 days refrigerated (but take care to thaw 12 hours before using), and 1-2 months in the freezer.
    • These are lovely spread on crusty bread, as a topper for smoked fish, or as deliciously flavorful side all their own on a charcuterie board.